Modifying Original Recipes to Fit Your Needs!

A blog about healthy eating, healthy living and happiness. Join me and I'll show you how easy it is to substitute, modify and enhance your favorite recipes to accommodate your special diet, all without missing a thing!

December 29, 2011

Tofu Spinach Lasagna

I'd heard it done before, but it still sounded a bit weird... turning tofu into ricotta? Hmm... I had to try this out for myself.

I found this recipe on the lovely Whole Foods website. Seemed pretty simple and I had most of the ingredients, so with the following minor substitutions this lasagna was born...


Ingredients (with my substitutions)
1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu (not silken), drained 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
1/2 large onion, finely chopped 
1/2 pound italian sausage
14 oz package button mushrooms 
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
12 oz package frozen cut spinach 
2 cups tomato or marinara sauce 
2 eggs, beaten 
1 tbsp potato flour
1 (16-ounce) package gluten-free lasagna noodles (I use DeBoles - they are precooked!)

To Prepare
For the filling, coarsely crumble tofu onto a lint-free dish towel. Wrap tofu in the towel and lightly press out excess moisture; set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add italian sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until mostly cooked through. Add mushrooms, garlic, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and pepper and spinach, cook until spinach has fully thawed (about 10 minutes). Add a heaping spoonful of the marinara sauce and stir to incorporate. 

Whisk eggs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add potato flour and whisk until well blended and slightly thickened. Unwrap tofu, crumble it into small pieces and add it to egg mixture. Stir well; set aside.
 

If you are using precooked noodles move to the next step. If your lasagna noodles are not precooked, cook noodles according to package directions in salted boiling water, but reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes. The noodles should be slightly firm, as they will continue cooking in the oven. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Begin assembling the lasagna: ladle a spoonful of the sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Place 1/2 of the tofu mixture on the lasagna sheets along with about a 1/2 of the sausage/spinach/mushroom mixture, distributing it evenly. Repeat layering one more time with 3 lasagna noodles, the rest of the tofu mixture and the sausage mixture. Finish by covering the top layer with shredded mozzarella (if you tolerate dairy) or, my favorite, use Diaya Mozzarella Style Shreds. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler for 2-3 minutes until cheese just begins to brown. Remove from oven, set aside uncovered and let stand about 5 minutes, then slice and serve. 

As there isn't much sauce in the lasagna itself I heated about 1 cup marinara sauce to top each slice when plated. Make a simple salad to accompany this dish and there you have it - Tofu Spinach Lasagna! Mmm Mmmm so good!

Side note: I didn't tell my roommate there was tofu in it (because I knew he wouldn't eat it) and ya know what he repeatedly had to say about it? "This is really good!" Give this recipe a try and don't tell your guests what the filling is... I promise they'll never know! ;-)


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